Along the way to New Laeneria, Zae Zin Nim repeatedly heard about how the city state was going to hell. Some said that all the merchants had been executed, others were just terrified that the peasants had taken over. As far as she could tell, their primary concern was that the city was no longer conducting trade in luxury items. It had been one of the greatest cities in the nation based on its fine metalwork.

When she began flying over the outer fields she didn't notice anything particularly different. No soldiers guarding the workers in the fields, fewer crystals, not so many trade wagons. It all struck her as more or less normal for Deadwaste, though.

Maybe overturning the ruling class didn't matter that much. She wouldn't have cared at all, except she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if some peasant killed her father and took his place.

The respectable politics of the Krysal City States meant that for a long time, Zae Zin Nim hadn't needed to be worried about anyone stealing or messing with her crystal ship. Now, facing an overrun state with an uncertain future, she had that problem again. She hid the ship as well as she could, atop a craggy hill that would be difficult for a non-cultivator to climb, then headed into the city on foot.

She had never seen New Laeneria, either before Omilaena took it or previously, and could only go by Kai's reports. Other than the fact that there wasn't violence and bloodshed in the streets, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be noticing and reporting. The world went on without its current rulers... was that really a remarkable observation?

Visiting the city at all was a risk, considering that Omilaena was allegedly stronger than the usual weaklings on Deadwaste. She'd twice had the advantage over Kai, but she also hadn't been able to overwhelm him, so her strength was likely not far above the Diamond Crystalliers. From the reports it sounded like she was heavily dependent on overcoming cultivation with poisons, which Zae Zin Nim suspected she could avoid.

Before she got very far into the city, a group of uniformed people moved to surround her. Archers on the nearby rooftops, a woman wielding a spear in front, and several people bearing crystal shields from the sides. They looked serious but had yet to attack, so Zae Zin Nim didn't kill them.

Actually... perhaps the more important thing was they were all wearing uniforms. She recognized the armor of the soldiers or guards, while the crystalliers occasionally had a few clothing items in common. These had none of the above.

In any case, only the woman with the spear was anything like a threat.

<

Name: ???

Total Power: 138

Crystal Cultivation: 1109 (52)

Physique Level: F-5 (40)

Soul Level: 4 (16)

Elite Crystallier Spear: 30

>

A considerable percentage of her strength lay in the qi-charged spear she held ready. Ordinarily Zae Zin Nim didn't respect those who relied so heavily on tools, but she had to admit that the woman had over 100 Power in her own strength, and that was considerable for the region. Doubly so given that she didn't seem to have been born into the upper classes.

"We don't need crystalliers here," the spearwoman said. "Just turn around and head back."

"I am not a crystallier," Zae Zin Nim told them. She raised a hand to cut off the woman's protests. "I've entered their systems because it's more convenient, but I don't care about them. Do you know the Krysal City States are crumbling from the east?"

"We know." The spearwoman shifted uncomfortably, uncertain where the conversation was going. "And we're glad to see the cities get what's coming to them, but this will hurt everyone else too."

"The merchants will lash out soon, if they haven't already. You don't need to be worried about me, you need to worry about when they decide that attacking you is the best way to restore their confidence in their own system."

After several glances around the street, the woman shifted back. "Why are you here, then?"

"I want to speak to Omilaena." Zae Zin Nim slid her arms into her sleeves to further deescalate. "This doesn't need to have anything to do with you, unless she's in charge."

"She leads the city officially, but she lets us control almost everything day to day. You don't seem like the others the merchants have sent to attack her."

"I am not. Will you tell me where she is?"

"Up in the highest estate." The spearwoman stepped out of the street and pointed upward with her crystal spear. "It's the one with the skulls. If you were telling the truth, please conduct your business and leave in peace."

Zae Zin Nim nodded and walked onward. That had actually been easier than just killing people in her way, and they had given her more information. Most likely she would learn more directly from Omilaena, but Kai would want to know that the information had been confirmed by someone else. If Kai wanted to talk to every peasant about their hopes and dreams, he would have to do that part himself.

No one else bothered her as she made her way to the tall fortified estate, which indeed had several skulls impaled on the spikes of the fence. All rather old at this point. There was no one guarding the entrance, so Zae Zin Nim simply hopped over the gate and continued inward.

When she approached the large doors at the front, one opened and Omilaena emerged. Just like that, wearing a more practical dress than before as well as a pair of goggles around her neck. She crossed her arms and adopted a skeptical expression.

"I recognize you from Yulthens. If you're here on behalf of their merchant caste, or you want to fight about the thefts, let's get this over with."

"I do not care about what you stole." Zae Zin Nim shifted her feet slightly, in case it ended in a fight. "However, I do care that you captured and threatened Kai Clanless."

"Oh, come on, I didn't do him any permanent harm." Omilaena waved a hand irritably. "The fact that you know that means that he's clearly fine. You picked him up without trouble, right? I saw you chasing after everyone else."

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It had been much more difficult than that, but Zae Zin Nim realized that this was not the time or place to vent her frustrations. If Omilaena was truly open to conversation, that was the better option. "No, that is not why I'm here. We want to know what you are doing in New Laeneria, and what you plan to do if war comes to Krysal."

"That sounds like something Kai would care about." In a blink Omilaena was standing much closer, still not holding a weapon and yet threatening with her sharp gaze alone. "Why are you here?"

"I..." Zae Zin Nim considered many potential answers and decided to go with the truth. "I need power to accomplish my goals on Cloudspire. I will help with this to assist Kai, but I don't particularly care what happens in Deadwaste."

Omilaena's seriousness transformed into a wry grin. "Same, honestly. Listen, I think we can help each other. I'll give you information about New Laeneria and the surrounding region as a bonus, if we can come to an agreement to help each other."

"How?"

"I'd like a sample of that mana you're using, the one that's been integrated into your cultivation somehow. Don't worry, you can hand it over with no danger to your precious cultivation. And in return... I still have some of the pure qi that I stole from the foreigners."

"I see." Zae Zin Nim tried to keep her face still. Such rich sources of qi were exactly what she needed to accelerate her cultivation, the very thing she had struggled to steal or earn for a long time. Best not to appear too desperate, though. "That might be a suitable trade."

"Come on in, then."

They entered the estate, which had clearly seen better days. Aside from the aftermath of several battles, there was a layer of dust over most surfaces. Omilaena didn't seem to notice and just walked rapidly through the halls to a strange room. It had once been some sort of showcase, with statues and paintings and carved crystals. Half of those had been shoved aside to make room for a table filled with strange contraptions.

"You can place your mana in here." Omilaena tapped one of the devices that looked like a lantern. "I'll go get your qi meanwhile."

Suddenly alone, Zae Zin Nim inspected the device for traps. When she extended some of her qi, the lantern thing tried to gather it in, but not effectively enough to be used as a defense. After some time, she figured out how to shake the qi out of the device and instead summoned a blue flame. Her Coldfire Corona was easier to access than ever thanks to her training, so she trapped a flame inside and closed the lid.

There it seemed to be fueled by the device and burned steadily. Zae Zin Nim watched it, wondering if this could be used against her. It was possible that the information might open up some weakness, but she thought that was an acceptable risk for the chance to win much more.

"Here you go." Omilaena entered the room and tossed her a small wooden box. "Check it if you have to."

The box appeared to contain several qi pills, truly potent ones from Cloudspire. Zae Zin Nim couldn't help but smile, then closed the box and bowed to the other woman. "Thank you for treating fairly with me."

"If you want to leave, I'll consider that a fair deal. But if you want the information I promised... why not stay and have something to eat?"

.

..

.

"Something to eat" turned out to be a feast. Somehow Omilaena orchestrated a large number of peasants, along with cooks and other nervous-looking servants of the estate. She called in random people from the street and invited them to eat at a long table in the grand hall. Their raucous celebration was quite displeasing.

However, Zae Zin Nim was allowed to sit at the very head of the grand hall, in a raised area separated from the rest by silk curtains. It was only herself and Omilaena there, not even any servants. The woman from Rosemount set one last dish on the table, then dropped down beside it.

"Dig in," she suggested. "It's not like home, but you won't get better anywhere in Deadwaste."

Zae Zin Nim regarded the food suspiciously.

"Still thinking about poison? Well, suit yourself if you want to stay hungry."

"Why are you doing this?" Zae Zin Nim asked. She gestured out toward the peasants feasting on the other side of the curtain. "I thought you said you only cared about power."

"I do, and I'm not going to fight their war for them. But not every decision is instrumental to my personal growth, so how do I make them? I figure I might as well help those who deserve it. You've met a lot of crystalliers, do you really want to work with them?"

"Are you helping these people? There will be retribution, and they may not be prepared."

"And then they'll see if their power was enough." Omilaena slipped a knife from out of nowhere and used it to deliver a piece of fruit into her mouth nonchalantly. "If they hadn't wanted to fight, they could have run away or refused the weapons. I'm no angel here."

Angels were a superstitious belief from Rosemount that Zae Zin Nim only vaguely understood, so she set that aside. It seemed as though the other woman's ideals were clear enough. Since they still had some time at the feast, she might as well attempt to get more information.

"Suortril was very angry," Zae Zin Nim said. "I have fought him, but his prism technique appears to be invulnerable."

"I don't mind telling you about that." Omilaena stopped with a sausage speared on her knife, then gestured with it. "As near as I can tell, it blocks all mana, qi, and blunt force. He must have paid a fortune for it. But he never tried to confront me, and there's evidence that he's nervous about chakra. You can't create such a powerful defense without openings, so I think a sufficiently different sort of power could pass right through."

"Would you like that?"

"I'd love to see the smug look wiped off his face but, bluntly, I'm not going to put my life on the line for it. Those Diamond Crystalliers combined are a threat to anyone on the continent, even us."

The two of them continued speaking and Zae Zin Nim was shocked at how much she enjoyed it. After so long in Deadwaste, dealing with barbarians and fools, it was amazing to converse with someone from a civilized continent. She even ate some of the food, which proved to be delicious and not at all poisoned.

Unfortunately, as the evening went on, Omilaena became increasingly drunk. She wandered out into the main area and began carousing with three attractive young men. Zae Zin Nim did not approve of carousing, so she retreated to an unused bedchamber to cultivate.

There, she waited until she felt Omilaena's chakras fade into slumber. She crept to the doorway and listened to the woman's steady breathing as she decided what to do next. Originally she had been considering leaving, but Omilaena had proved to be a vulgar woman who slept with peasants for her own gratification.

Of course there was a risk in attempting to take something, but Zae Zin Nim was beset by risks on all sides. Her father had sent entire teams of Nascent Foundation cultivators to hunt her down, or perhaps even some at the Earth Soul stage. This time she had made it through, but only at the loss of Kai, who had needed to survive entirely on his own wit and strength.

That was what finally made the decision for her: she couldn't let herself slow down, not when Kai needed her help.

And so she crept out of her room, past the remaining revelers, and descended beneath the estates. She had carefully noted the direction Omilaena went to retrieve the pure qi and it was a simple matter to discover the path. Aside from a locked door, which was easily forced, there was nothing stopping her from entering what had clearly been the noble's storage room.

Most of it was filled with useless gold, paintings, and other random objects. Sitting within a cleared area, however, lay a Brightwind security chest. Just viewing its lacquered surface made Zae Zin Nim's heart race. This chest contained countless valuable items, many times the qi she had been given, and weapons she could use against her father.

There was a lock, but it wasn't set. Zae Zin Nim frowned and used a bit of qi to open the lid, anticipating another trap. It disturbed something and she saw that there was a faint powder around the rim... some sort of poison? She carefully wiped it away with a cloth and then began sorting through the items, noting the most valuable, when she felt a presence behind her.

"Shame," Omilaena said calmly. "I thought you actually liked me."

Instead of responding, Zae Zin Nim grabbed the most valuable box of pills and leapt away. Yet her motions seemed strangely sluggish, uncoordinated. The other woman was fast and precise, no sign of drunkenness at all, and injected her in the neck with a syringe.

"But you were busy..." Zae Zin Nim heard her words slurring and struggled to retain consciousness. "You... poisoned the food... after all...?"

"The food wasn't poisoned and the powder on the chest was a distraction, the real vector was covering the items inside. And I'm too busy to fuck every pretty face." Omilaena rubbed her neck ruefully, then twisted it with a loud crack. "Well, I guess this works too."